Not again
by LaReine326
Summary: Liv has a funny feeling about this case and she turns out to be right. In the same universe as A Surprise Visitor. One shot. No slash. Set between the season four finale and the season five premiere.


AN: I do not own Izombie or any of it's characters all credit goes to The CW Network and DC Comics

Work Text:

It had been a long few days at the precinct. Monday that week as soon as the morning shift started someone called in to the anonymous tip line spouting off about zombies and how "what's dead should stay dead," and he would "kill them all if he could," all seasoned with several expletive. The receptionist let it go on for about two minutes and asked if they had an actual tip three times before hanging up. Then they called again at ten and again at twelve and four more times before Clive went home at five. By the next day only officers were allowed to answer the phone and the poor twenty year old receptionist was given an apology and a paid week off for her troubles.

The same thing happened for the next three days in a row. Dale would have considered shutting down the tip line if it hadn't been so helpful in cases before. Thursday morning went the same as before, but then the 12 o'clock call came. This time along with the threats there was a location and voices in the Before the call ended they had a unit on its way to the location when they got there they found a warehouse one half was engulfed in flames. Thankfully they were able to get in and get all five zombies out, shaken up but generally unharmed. Three girls two men. Two of the girls were roommates, the men said they knew each other loosely through mutual friends, and the rest claimed everyone looked vaguely familiar but couldn't put their finger on it.

•

"Isn't there a way to track anonymous tips?" Ravi asked.

"Of course there is, but he used all burners. A new phone every hour." Clive replied

"We're sure there's nothing else connecting them. I mean for a couple of them to know each other and the rest not. That's super weird." Liv said.

"Nothing anyone can find."

"But they all said the others looked familiar." Ravi said.

"Everyone says that when you ask if they've seen someone before. Some sort of psychological phenomenon. Right, Liv?"

Liv didn't answer. Clive looked over and she was squinting at the photos of the victims.

"Liv, you okay?" Clive asked.

She looked up from the papers. "Yeah. I just think I've been staring at these too long. Even I'm starting to think they look familiar." She joked. "I'm gonna make a coffee run. Do you guys want anything?"

"Yeah." Ravi replied "Vanilla latte but.."

"Almond milk. I know you're lactose intolerant ravi" liv replied "black for you, Clive?"

"Yeah, thanks," Clive said back. "and would you mind asking Dale if she wants something?"

"No problem, see you guys in a few."

After a few moments of silence Clive finally spoke up.

"There's something that bugs me."

"What's that?" Ravi asked.

"I know I should say he's just crazy and doesn't know what he's talking about, but the whole "what's dead should stay dead." I mean he said it like ten times and it's just wrong."

"Well I don't think anti-zoms know or care about the correct terminology as we do"

"No I mean "staying dead" would imply that zombies died but they don't they just get infected and then they turn."

"Well that's not entirely true." Ravi answered

"What?"

"While the majority of zombies I have had the pleasure of meeting that is true for, I have met or heard of a few who actually died and came back to life"

"How is that possible?"

"Well, my hypothesis is that when one is infected there is a very short window of time approximately ten minutes in which the infected party is still vulnerable to human death, but can somehow then come back to life."

"Wow." Was Clive's only response. "Is there any way to find them?"

"Well, Peyton has a list of all registered zombies and we could cross reference those with people who were admitted to the hospital and then narrow it down from there. It definitely wouldn't find all of them, but it's a start."

"Well at least if we can't find the guy maybe we can figure out his next victims."

•

Liv knocked lightly on the open door and Dale looked up from her paperwork and gave a tired smile.

"Hey. Did I forget to give you a file?"

"No. Actually I'm going out for some real coffee and wanted to know if you want something."

Liv could see Dale's shoulders relax "God, yes."

"Long day?" Liv asked.

Dale sighed "I have 5 officers working phones. Every twenty minutes someone else calls making threats and we have no idea whether or not they're the person who actually did it."

"Well Clive, Ravi, and I are working hard on it."

"I'm sure you are." Dale replied genuinely. She pulled out her wallet and got a black card out. "Just put everyone on here it's my work card. Coffee runs count as a business expense."

"Thanks." Liv gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Is everything thing okay, honey?" Dale asked

"Yeah. Just something about this case feels off." She worried her lip like she only did when she was overthinking something.

"You know Clive and I are gonna be working the case all night anyway. Why don't you come over? I'll order pizza."

"You're already paying for my coffee."

"Taxes are paying for your coffee."

Liv gave a small laugh at that. "Okay. Six sound good?"

"Perfect"

•

Liv walked up to the familiar house and noticed the lights weren't on. As if on cue she heard her ringtone coming from her bag and put her phone to her ear.

"Dale?"

"Liv, honey, I'm so sorry I got stuck on a phone call until 5:30 and then we hit traffic. We're still about fifteen minutes away. But there's a fake rock next to the door with the spare key in it."

Liv assured Dale it was no big deal, and hung up the phone. She immediately located the rock and unlocked the door.

She was walking inside when she felt strong hands grab her. She struggled against him and felt herself going into zombie mode, but then there was a prick against her neck and then there was nothing.

•

Dale said bye to Liv and put her phone back in the console.

"Do you think she"ll ever forgive you?" Clive joked.

"She said it was fine." Dale returned.

Clive's phone rang.

"Who is it?" Dale asked.

"Ravi, probably about the case."

Clive answered the phone and Ravi immediately let out a string of words none of which Clive could understand.

"Woah, slow down, what's going on?"

"It the Washington Boat Party," Ravi answered. " they were all declared dead at the Washington Boat Party. He's killing them in the way they died there."

"Okay so else is on the list?"

All Dale saw was Clive tense against his seat and quickly hang up the phone. Then the sirens were on and they were flying down the highway.

•

The drive that usually took 15 minutes took only five. When Dale got to her porch she saw the door was wide open and an empty syringe laid in the doorway. Her chest filled with panic but she remained calm. She picked up the syringe knowing she might need it later and walked inside as quickly as she could without making enough noise to alert the killer of her presence. Clive followed directly behind with his hand on his gun. They heard the back door slam.

"I'll get him. You find Liv." Clive said and before Dale could even reply he was running outside. Dale stood there for a moment before pulling out her walkie and calling for backup.

She ran down the hall yelling Liv's name and opening every door. She thanked God there was no smoke or any sign of fire. Maybe they caught him before he could do anything. However, that small flicker of hope was lost when she got to the bathroom.

The bathtub was filled nearly to overflowing and puddles covered the floor where it splashed. Liv's bright white head of hair was facedown in the water.

Dale immediately dropped to her knees and used all her strength to pull Liv out of the bathtub and onto the floor. The zombie remained still. Dale took a calming breath and put herself in cop mode. She checked her pulse which was at its normal ten beats per minute. But her lips were blue and her chest wasn't moving. Dale took a deep inhale, put her lips to Liv's, and breathed. She kept going, growing more worried with each second that passed.

Eventually Clive came back in, empty handed, and eyes wide with concern. Clive sat down and put Liv's head on his lap remembering something from training about elevation helping breathing. After what felt like hours, but was probably less than two minutes, Liv took a gasping breath and started coughing. Clive turned her on her side and patted her back until she was done. But her eyes never opened and when she finished coughing her body went limp.

"Shouldn't she be waking up?" Clive asked

"No. He gave her something. She could be knocked out for hours."

So we just wait?" Clive asked.

"Yeah." Dale answered.

•

Liv jerked awake. She looked around frantically before seeing she was in Dale and Clive's guest room, the latter of which was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"Hey partner." He said looking equally concerned and relieved.

"Hey."

As if on cue Dale appeared talking into the phone. But she smiled when she saw Liv was awake.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow. You too." She hung up the phone.

"Well?" Clive asked.

"They caught the bastard. He was holed up in a motel near the border. He confessed to everything. There was a bug in my office."

"Thank God" Clive replied.

"So who exactly was trying to kill me?"

"Right," Dale replied, but just as she was about to start talking the doorbell rang.

"That's the pizza." Clive stated. "I'll get it. Be right back."

•

"Shit." Liv stated

"Yeah." Clive replied

Liv was sitting upright in bed despite assuring both Dale and Clive she was fine. Both of whom were sitting in matching chairs next to her. The couple shared a pepperoni pizza while Liv enjoyed her double pepper sriracha one, now in dry clothes and looking significantly livelier, well as lively as a zombie can look.

"Do I need to make a statement?" She asked.

"Eventually. Not tonight." Dale replied.

They ate in silence for a few moments.

"You guys probably want to know what happened. When I died."

Dale and Clive shared that one look that Liv swore only married people could.

"Of course we're curious, but you don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to." Dale answered.

"No it's okay." Liv replied. "I guess we should start at the beginning. I was a resident at the time and another resident invited me to a party. I turned it down but then major convinced me to go. And I never imagined it would be the kind of party it was. The girl who invited me was nowhere to be found and I was just stuck there alone. Then all hell broke loose. I decided I needed to jump ship, but someone, who I later realized was Blaine grabbed me and scratched me. I fell all wrong and landed face first in the water. And there were so many people in the water that every time I came close to swimming up someone was pushing me back down. Then I woke up in a body bag,"

Dale and Clive said nothing. Suddenly she was being hugged on both sides which is surprising considering neither of the newlyweds were particularly touchy.

"You should get some sleep." Dale said when they had both pulled away.

Liv thought about protesting but figured it would be pointless and she was pretty tired anyway. Attempted murder really takes a lot out of you.


End file.
